Machining Destiny
by EmrysTheMerlin
Summary: Life was never easy for Merlin, a small town mechanic with magic beyond the worlds wildest dreams. But then all in one night everything changes. She ends up in the legendary floating city of Camelot, working for the ass of a crown prince Arthur Pendragon. But things aren't all what they seem. A final secret left to her may be the last hope for the city in the clouds. Fem!Merlin
1. Loss

**Authors Note: Steampunk AU! I'm crazy ok… I'll admit that but that's ok crazy is good. Anyway yeah also don't kill me too much for this, I do some terrible things in here. Fem! Merlin. I own nothing, don't kill me.**

1\. Loss

Merlin was under an engine when Giaus first met her. The teen prodigy had one annoying habit, she was always working on something. An annoyed garage attendant pointed the physician to a set of legs clad in worn brow leather pants and scuffed brown boots sticking out from under a very large engine block. There was a muffled curse from under the engine and Giaus heard the sound of dripping as a hand, callused and covered in grease, reached out from under the block. It searched for a few minutes in a disorganized pile of tools until a clunk sounded followed by a more colorful curse. The hand swiftly disappeared back under the engine.

"Get over here!" Several tools glowed and floated under the engine.

"Ow! Not all at once damn you!" Several tools retreated back to the haphazard pile and the voice, probably Merlin's, sighed.

"Thank you." The voice went quiet as Giaus heard the unmistakable sound of a wrench at work and the dripping sound slowed then stopped. There was another thunk and then the cranking echoed from the wrench once more. A laugh sounded from behind Giaus, he turned and saw the garages head mechanic William standing there with a fold up chair.

"Thought you might want this, she's been under there since two yesterday, she might be a while. Giaus right?" Giaus nodded and accepted the seat.

"Yes. This is Merlin then?" A clunk and more swearing from the engine block with legs.

"Who's out there talking about me now? Geoffrey if that's you, no it's not going to happen! No matter how nicely you ask." Will laughed again.

"Nope, and do I even want to know? It's me Will. And you've a visitor." Wheels creaked as the mechanics rest began to roll out from under the engine.

"Who'd visit me?" Merlin asked and Giaus wondered if Will hadn't been exaggerating how long she'd been under that engine block. She wore a red shirt and brown vest with bronze buttons, both were stained with engine grease. Around her neck was a royal blue neckerchief. This one seemed to be more functional than fashionable as she used it to wipe at a streak of grease on her cheek. It didn't work very well, in fact it drew a new streak of oil along her prominent cheekbone as she tried to make herself more presentable. Her raven hair was a mess and her eyes were covered by black lensed goggles set into green rims. She pushed them up into her hair, messing it up further if that was possible. Her eyes gleamed, being as they were the only clean part of her face. Deep sapphires would have been ashamed next to the blue of her eyes, not that she was the kind to wear any sort of jewelry. She smiled as Giaus introduced himself and Will wandered off.

"It's nice to meet you Giaus, moms told me a lot about you. But I have to ask, what are you doing here?"

"Your mother asked me to come." Merlin frowned.

"Why?"

"She says you're having problems here. Ealdor's a small town and your talents are getting you noticed in a bad way. She says you've been attacked twice on the way home from work." Merlin's frown deepened as she fingered a bandage on her left wrist.

"Yeah, so?" She asked the ground, refusing to meet Giaus' gaze.

"So, she is worried about you. Your engineering talents are known as far as Cenred's capital and that coupled with your magical talents make you a prime target for being recruited for Cenred's personal guard." Merlin looked terrified. Cenred, the king of Estier, was notoriously awful to his recruits, almost none of whom volunteered for his service. He was brutal, killing for the most minor of offences.

"I'm here to help. I can offer you a place in Camelot as my apprentice." Merlin's face lit up.

"The floating city?!" Giaus smiled and nodded. Merlin launched herself at him and hugged him tight.

"Oh thank you so much!" Giaus patted her on the back.

"We'll have to leave tonight, my source tells me Cenred is closer than you thought." Merlin paled and nodded before releasing Giaus and swinging an arm toward her tools which haphazardly packed themselves into her case. She quickstepped across the room and over to Will. Giaus couldn't make out what they were saying but it quickly escalated into an argument. Will seemed to be shouting and Merlin looked on the verge of tears. She unpinned a badge from her vest and tossed it at Will's feet, her goggles joined it seconds later. She turned on her heels and raced back to Giaus, grabbed her tool kit and ran for the door. Giaus quickstepped after her even as they heard Will call out.

"Wait!"

Merlin and her mother, Hunith, lived in a small cottage on the edge of Ealdor alone. Parked outside their two room home was Merlin's personal flyer. Made of copper and gold it resembled the bird for which its creator was named. The wings were feathered, various scrap metal plates layered to make a solid layer, and the cockpit was the head of the large predatory bird. From what Giaus could see as they raced past it, several passengers could ride inside the body of the bird. The engine itself was nestled in the beak of the oversized hawk. They bolted the door behind them and Merlin raced past her mother to pack a bag. Hunith bit her lip.

"How did she take it?" Giaus frowned.

"Well enough, until she spoke with the head mechanic." Hunith nodded.

"Will. She'll have told him she's leaving. They've been like brother and sister since they were little. He'd want to know where. She won't have told him, she'll want him to be safe. That's what's upset him." Giaus nodded.

"You've packed as well Hunith? We'll have to leave quickly, tonight." Hunith nodded fidgeting nervously.

That night they worked swiftly under cover of darkness. Merlin clicked open the passenger seating with the wave of a hand and Giaus loaded the three small bags of essentials the woman were bringing with them. Merlin was doing a final check of the engine as Giaus went to hurry Hunith along. A noise from her left made her draw her flintlock pistol and squint into the darkness.

"We both know you don't need that you daft warlock, so you can put that away." Merlin swore softly and did so.

"Go away Will. I have to go, and I can't tell you where in case they come looking for me." Will stepped out of the shadows, a pack on his shoulder.

"I'm coming with you, you daft warlock. You cannot take care of yourself and I know you'll need help in the floating city. The only thing keeping me here was you and Hunith anyway."

"We're not going to the floating city Will. You can't…" Will cut her off with a glare. Hunith made no comment but smiled at Will and Merlin as she slammed the engine cover closed, pouting slightly.

They would have made it, they would have taken off free and clear and safe, had one of the garage attendants not overheard their conversation earlier that day. Floodlights blinded them, Hunith gasped and Will and Merlin swore. Hunith pressed a package into her daughter's arms and yelled above the sound of ships moving in around them.

"Get going my hawk!" Merlin dove into the cockpit as Will dove into the passenger seating pulling Giaus with him. Shots echoed around them and Merlin started the engines only to pause as a scream rent the night air.

"Mother!" She screamed almost vaulting out of her seat as she saw her mother fall to a bullet from one of Cenred's guns.

"Autopilot engage! Lock to cockpit." Her mother called out and Merlin cursed and swore as the cockpit, programmed to take both of their voice commands, locked closed.

"Merlin I love you. Go now."

"I won't leave you!"

"Yes you will! I've lived my life, go live yours. Go now!" Hunith gasped and coughed. Bullets ricochet around, trying to penetrate the hawk. Will shouted over the noise as Merlin, too stunned to act stared at her mother who lay unmoving.

"Merlin, go now! There's nothing you can do, go."Merlin snapped into action and the door to the passenger seating snapped closed. The Hawk purred to life and zipped off leaving the lifeless body of Merlin's mother behind.


	2. Fight

Author's Note: I know you're all expecting an update for Fell Falls and Hellfire. You'll get it. I've hit a road block in one and a hitch in the other so I'm posting this to tide you over until I can update those… If you're still with me after the end of the last chapter let me just say when I wrote that I cried for half an hour. Please review.

2\. Fight

Merlin was in shock, steering the Hawk was natural to her almost instinctual. Will made his way to the two way vid-com between the cockpit and the passenger seats. He clicked the call button.

"Merlin?" No response.

"Merlin, I know you can hear me." The screen flickered to life and Will's heart broke. Merlin was pale as a ghost with tear tracks etched down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and the package her mother had given her was nestled in her lap.

"Yeah?"

"You alright?" Merlin laughed humorlessly.

"No. No, alright is not a word I would use. It was my fault Will. If I wasn't, then she wouldn't..." Merlin couldn't finish her thought as fresh tears tracked down her face.

"No! This was not your fault Merlin. This was Cenred's fault. Your mother would not blame you for this. Cenred pulled the trigger, not you. This is not your fault, never say that." Merlin sniffed and nodded, a watery smile momentarily lighting her face. Then a panel to the left of the vid-com beeped.

"Shit! Strap in Will, Giaus, we've got company." Will made it to his seat and strapped in before the aerial acrobatics began but only just.

Merlin maneuvered the Hawk like it was a living bird. She swooped low above the trees of the darkling woods. She ducked and dove behind the slower bulkier fliers and, a need for revenge driving her, clipped it with the saw like edge of her gliders wing. The com piped back up.

"Merlin! What are you doing?" Will sounded unnerved.

"Getting rid of our tail. What do you think?"

"I think you're trying to cut up their ship, you never perfected that feature. Just lose them!" The hawk shook as a cannonball flew over the left wing. Merlin swore again and the com went dead.

Merlin abandoned her vengeance Merlin swooped and dove, avoiding the weapons fired with obvious intent to kill, apparently if Cenred couldn't have her no one could. The chase went over the woods and soon the sun was beginning to rise. Still the flyers, clearly marked as King Cenred's, cased the metal bird. Merlin had almost given up when a voice blared over her external p.a. system from an unknown ship.

"This is Golden Dragon, you are flying in restricted airspace. State your business, over." Merlin almost cried with relief.

"This is Falconer; I have Giaus the court physician of Camelot on board and am being pursued by hostiles. Request assistance, over."

"Very well Falconer. We're authorized to intervene. Which vessel is yours? Over." Merlin scoffed into the p.a. in absolutely no mood for this.

"I don't know, maybe the large metal falcon!?" A new voice laughed over the com.

"Your sass is unnecessary Falconer."

"I've been chased by these bastards all night, I saw my mother die and I am currently flying not only for my life but the lives of my passengers, not to mention the pointless argument I'm having with a prat I don't know over a radio! So yes, my sass is totally necessary!" Merlin swore as one of the cannonballs grazed her left wing sending her into a spin. For most pilots this would be an irreversible death sentence, but Merlin wasn't most pilots.

Pressing down on the throttle as hard as she could she turned into the spiral as she felt her eyes glow gold boosting her speed as she shot upward. Several switches flipped of their own accord, her machine and her magic working in perfect tandem as they both bent to her will lowering her only weapon. It was a set of talon like razor sharp landing hooks. She didn't look like a weapon but she had no choice.

"This is for my mother you bastard!" She shouted and across one of the wings of Cenred's ships effectively shredding it. It spiraled and smoked crashing soon after hundreds of feet below.

"Yes!" She cheered and her com system cleared its throat.

"Falconer we have arrived at your location, please stay back." At that moment six gliders swooped in-between Merlin's Hawk and the remaining three of Cenred's ships. Each had a different crest painted on the left side, the Camelot dragon on the right. A lion, a griffon, an apple tree behind crossed swords, a smith's hammer and anvil, a bear, and a slightly larger more detailed dragon adorned one of each of the shining gliders. Merlin's vid-com beeped and she answered. Will looked shaken.

"What the hell are you doing up there!?"Merlin laughed a tiny breathless laugh.

"Well the cavalry seems to have arrived." And she described the scene before her as the fighters engaged Cenred's men.

"Those are the knights of Camelot, the best fighters around." Giaus called from his seat. Merlin hovered uncertainly until one of the three that had been chasing her broke away and turned to fire on the fighter baring the golden dragon.

"No!" She shouted and swooped in, raking her landing gear across the engine block of the enemy craft. It shredded like paper and the Hawk rocked with the explosion. The damage was minor to her craft, mechanically speaking but a shredded set of landing gear was going to make landing rather difficult. The enemy craft fell, a fatal spin inevitable with no working engine. But it got off one last shot before it went down in flames. The cannonball clipped the Hawk's right wing taking off several metal panels. She swore as she raced to compensate, she could do it but not for long. A new voice came over her intercom.

"Falconer, this is Appletree. You alright? I saw you take that hit."

"I'm fine for now. Appletree. Really?" She giggled a bit involuntarily as the last of Cenred's men went down.

"Yep. Sword arm was too intimidating, no sense scaring the ladies. Gwaine's my real name, you got a real name or should I just call you Falconer. Cute haul by the way goes with the ship."

"Merlin." There was silence.

"No really."

"That's not a joke Appletree. Name's Merlin, my haul is Falconer." Raucous laughter echoed over her com.

"Oh that's clever! I like you already! Alright Falconer Merlin, we're going to escort you to the landing bay."

"Small problem Appletree Gwaine."

"What's that?"

"I shredded my landing gear saving Golden Dragon. I'd stay five feet away during landing." The voice from before cut across Gwaine's reply.

"This is Golden Dragon, are you going to be ok to land?" Merlin nodded and shrugged. Then remembered that they were not in fact on a video call.

"Yeah, I've landed with less. But the faster we get there the better, I can only compensate for the hole in my wing so long."

"Right follow Appletree. We'll follow in case of another attack."

"10-4. Over and out." True to form not ten minutes later they were hovering over the landing strip of the city of Camelot, the aptly named floating city of Camelot. The city itself never moved from where it was anchored to the forest below. There was an age old legend that it had once been flown across the sky by a powerful sorcerer to help avoid the destruction of the city, but the legend also held that the man had died from overuse of magic when he stopped the city. And what a city it was, gleaming metal and polished stone, burnished bronze and green corroded copper. A city of contradictions that floated its entire length above the forest beneath it at each cardinal direction. No one could truly unwind the mechanisms that kept the city floating but it was truly a marvel of mechanisms.


	3. Landing

**Author's Note: Wow… I haven't touched this one in a while. I don't own anything but I am contemplating doing a cosplay for this version of Merlin.**

3\. Landing

Merlin had no time to appreciate the majesty of the city. She was rapidly losing control of her damaged flier. The right wing was losing metal plates like a bird during molting season. Her landing gear was shredded and she needed to land now. She flicked her com system on.

"Apple tree, this is Falconer. I need to make an emergency landing now."

"10-4 Falconer Merlin. Need and assist?"

"Negative Apple tree." Apple tree, it was pretty easy to see which one he was because of the large tree painted on the side of his gold and brass glider, glided in for a perfect landing on well oiled wheels. Merlin knew she wouldn't be so lucky this time around. She flicked on the passenger com.

"Strap in back there, this is going to be one of my more interesting landings." She clicked off the com and eased off the throttle aiming, not towards the landing strip but the grass that surrounded it. Eyes wide she swore under her breath and silently prayed to her mother and whoever else was listening that someone walked away from this flight. She felt her magic guiding her hand as she tilted the glider so she was at a forty five degree angle with her damaged wing pointed down. Her com beeped and the obnoxious voice of Golden Dragon sounded.

"Falconer what are you doing?" Merlin didn't respond as she pulled up hard skidding across the grass. She fumbled and yanked the auxiliary brakes. The tailfin shot into the ground and Merlin winced at the sound of wrenching metal that echoed into the cockpit as the broken smoking flier screeched to a halt.

Merlin blinked and found herself only the length of her engine block plus a few inches away from a large metal garage. She sighed deeply and ran a hand over the package in her lap.

"Thanks mom." She whispered with a sad smile.

Arthur Pendragon was very angry. He had been flying a normal patrol when his radar had picked up what had turned out to be a battle. He had almost been shot down, saved by the unknown flier. Whoever it was had great taste, flying a custom job made up to look like a bird of prey.

Then this hot shot pilot had crashed into the grass of the runway, almost into the main garage. The flier, once beautiful and majestic, was now broken and smoking. Half the tail section was left several feet behind it in the grass, well sod and dirt. The right wing was a mess of torn metal and the cockpit had yet to open as the blonde prince jumped out of his own, now landed flier and marched across the runway. The mechanics scurried around giving him a wide birth as they checked over their machines. He started yelling as soon as he thought he was close enough to be heard by the as yet unknown pilot.

"What the hell do you think you were doing!? You could have killed someone! Not to mention all the equipment you could have destroyed in that garage!" He pushed his goggles up into his windblown blonde hair, his sky blue eyes glinting angrily. His red tunic was rumpled as was his black and silver pinstriped vest. His brown leather pants were slightly wrinkled but his black boots shone. Gwaine was already at the cockpit tapping on the glass. It was fogged glass, a new invention that looked opaque from the outside but was clear as crystal from the inside. Arthur didn't know exactly who the name behind it was but he knew it was some small town mechanic from Estier.

The glass clicked open and a figure sat forward and spoke to Gwaine. Arthur saw a short crop of raven hair and then what he'd never expected climbed out of the cockpit backwards. A girl. She was almost painfully skinny with tragically large ears. That coupled with the grime Arthur associated with mechanics he couldn't call her beautiful, not the kind of beauty he was used to anyway. In her right arm she gripped a large package like her life depended on it. Her left hand gripped tight to the edge of the cockpit as Gwaine flirted. Gwaine flirted with anything in a skirt, or in this case very rumpled trousers.

"Well come on Falconer Merlin, let me help you down." The girl grinned slightly.

"No thanks, I can manage Apple tree Gwaine. Your blonde buddy seems intent on yelling at me till my ears fall off though." She glanced over her shoulder. That was her mistake. She slipped and only Lancelot saw what really happened. Her left hand caught on a jagged bullet hole and was sliced open. She cried out and let go. Lancelot saw her eyes flash gold as she landed miraculously on her feet, her left hand clutched to her chest as it bleed freely. Lancelot recognized magic when he saw it, but though it was taboo it was no longer completely illegal.

Merlin swore loudly. It was at that precise moment Elyan and Percival managed to get the door to the passenger seats open. Arthur saw Giaus and a tall tan haired teen who glared at everyone until he saw Merlin. Then he frowned.

"You ok Merlin?"

"Yeah Will, I'm fine." Will nodded and looked over the still smoking flier.

"Good. That was quite the landing." Arthur snorted.

"Landing! You call that a landing? How did a girl your age even pull that off! And that ship, that's a stupid design flaw! Your only weapon is also your landing gear! I mean who designed that anyway! Let alone gave it to a twelve year old pilot!" Arthur was ranting as the girl, Merlin, walked over to the man, Will, and handed him the package.

"I designed it." Merlin growled. She was in no mood for any of this. She was tired and emotionally exhausted. She wanted to sleep. She wanted her head and neck to stop hurting from where she'd pulled muscles during the crash landing. She wanted her hand to stop bleeding. She did not want to be yelled at or criticized by some stuck up knight.

"I designed it, I built it, only I fly it! She's my ship and I'm not twelve, I'm eighteen. She was never meant for air combat, she's a flier not a fighter. And you Mr. Golden Dragon, who do you think you are!? I have been chased, shot at and lost more today than you ever have in your entire spoon fed life. So don't even yell at me for saving you a lot of expensive repair work on your runway!" She had gotten progressively closer to Arthur her pointer finger inches from his nose as blood dripped down her wrist. Arthur had never heard anyone speak to him like this.

"Wait _you_ built it?" Merlin had enough of this. She lashed out and her curled right fist connected with the blondes jaw. But as she tried to pull back she found her wrist locked in an iron grip and shoved not quite painfully up her back forcing her into kind of a mock bow. Arthur was slightly stunned.

"You hit me!"

"You deserved it, you ass!"

"You know I could have you tossed in jail for that."

"Seriously! Who do you think you are, the king of Camelot?!" Arthur suddenly understood. She really had no idea who he was.

"No, I'm his son. Prince Arthur Pendragon." A dry chuckle sounded from his captive.

"Well isn't that just my luck." She sighed and then to Arthur's alarm she went limp.

He had to catch her around her waist so he didn't snap her rather petite arm in two. He carefully flipped her over so she was no longer dangling forward. He checked her over visually for injuries and found only her bleeding hand. But his visual investigation made him reconsider his earlier judgment. Pretty was a word he could use to describe her. But it wasn't conventional prettiness. She was grimy but ethereal. The man, Will, was looking angry and agitated making his way swiftly towards Arthur but Giaus got there first.

He checked her over and tutted over her hand.

"Exhaustion and blood loss. That on top of the stress was far too much for her." He commented.

"She's been awake for three days straight. I'm not surprised that she can't keep her eyes open. Especially after this ass of a noble twists her arm up her back." Will glared, Arthur glared back. Gwaine stepped between them.

"Alright Princess! Your flagrant up ending of the code of chivalry aside, the lady needs help. Will, if you'll lead the way I'll assist you in bringing her to Giaus's chambers. Then maybe you and I can sit down for a tankard and you can tell me where she learned to fly like that." Gwaine grinned at Arthur who glared as the roguish knight held out his hands for the prone girl. Arthur hesitated before scooping her up and gently handing her over to Gwaine.

"Lead on, Will, Giaus. It is Will right?" Will nodded glaring at Arthur. The trio walked away, Gwaine bringing up the rear carting the unconscious Merlin. Leon cautiously approached Arthur.


End file.
